


Dog Days of Summer

by orphan_account



Category: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | Ronin Warriors
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Here’s my warning: this contains stuff about, Hot Springs & Onsen, Infidelity, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:07:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23205199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A two night stay at an onsen opens up a Pandora’s box which, weeks down the road, could tear the group apart.TW: this fic contains stuff about infidelity. If this bothers you, please don’t read. And I don’t condone it either. Other pairings will be listed as the story progresses.
Relationships: But they’re not endgame, Canon/OC, Hashiba Touma | Rowen Hashiba/Kayura | Lady Kayura, more pairings will follow - including a slash one
Kudos: 1





	1. Magic Ways

The Yoshikawa Onsen and Ryokan had its reopening last weekend. Outside, it looks the same, save the signs. Inside, everything has been remodeled.

He won the lottery again. This time, however, Kento has been careful to use any of it. What if some evil force attacks a city from another country or continent?

But a weekend with everyone at this revamped ryokan in the mountains can’t hurt, right? Mia, impressed by his maturity, volunteered to pay for half of it. And then when Kento declined, Rowen told him to let Mia pay for half of the fucking trip, _for the love of god_! The only one who paid for their own room was her boyfriend, Vicente Monteiro, a couple’s suite.

So Rowen’s driving his white Corolla with Cye as the shotgun, the Lady Kayura and Dais and Kento. Lady Kayura and the former Warlords rotate as to who patrols the Nether Realm, so that the others spend time in the human world. Right now, to Cye’s relief, Cale and Sekhmet currently patrol the Nether Realm.

In Mia’s Jeep sits Vicente, Ryo, his old friend Luna, Yuli squished between Mia and Vicente, and a sleeping two-year-old Suzunagi in her car seat.

“This the first time you’ve been in a real ryokan?” Ryo looks over at Luna as the Jeep stops at the place.

“Yeah,” is her reply, eyes filled with awe.

“Honestly, none of us go that often, because it’s so expensive.”

As they all got up off the Jeep, the second car parks right next to them, and everyone gets out, grumpy, as the music from _Swan Lake_ ’s turned off.

Ryo blinks at Kento slamming the door and dragging himself along. “What happened?” Kento slowly glares at him.

“It was a battle between _Spoonman_ ,” himself, “ _Magic Ways_ ,” Cye wanted anything _but_ that, “and some Brazilian song, ‘Mash’ _Que Nada_ or something. Vicente should know it,” Rowen, “then _Swan Lake_ won because of Kayura and her ballet practice.”

Ryo can only stare at him. 

“ _You_ teach babies and toddlers how to swim while you listen to _Magic Ways_ every. Goddamn. Minute!” Cye snaps with his index finger in Ryo’s face as he storms past the two. Apparently, one of the senior swimming coaches who couldn’t speak a word of English thought that Tatsuro Yamashita was singing _Magic **Waves**_ , and it went downhill from there.

“I wouldn’t know,” Ryo mumbles. He’s only a victim of _haken-giri,_ after all, meaning he was just laid off from a temporary warehouse job two weeks ago...

___

“Welcome to our inn!” A short but lovely innkeeper and his wife greet with a bow. The others return the bow before they're assigned their rooms _and_ tabi socks. 

To save money, they decide that, after Mia and Vicente get their couple's suite (and Suzunagi with them), it’ll be four per room. Luna and Kayura decide to room together while the men make their decisions. Luna takes it upon herself to reveal that she snores loudly at night, and gives a bewildered Kayura a pair of earplugs.

Rowen’s been in both rooms. In traditional Kane style, they’re airy, with a table for four and a balcony, so either would be okay for him. He spots Kayura, standing awkwardly with her hands behind her back. Ever since Talpa was destroyed, she and the Warlords found themselves aging in real time again, despite sometimes being in the Nether Realm. In other words, Dais is now in his mid-twenties, and Kayura’s eighteen.

And it shows. Her sunflower dress and her skin contrast with her dark hair that’s let down. Kayura, who got into a highschool with the help of Mia and graduated back in March, didn’t develop up _there_ much further. That was never important; Rowen fell in love with her for _her_. As Sage and Cale, Kento and Dais, and Cye and Sekhmet have this yin-yang thing going, so do Rowen and Kayura. The difference is that _they_ never wanted to kill each other. 

Kayura’s feelings soon became mutual.

Oh, and she’s even more graceful since learning ballet. She loves dancing traditional Japanese dances but ballet’s recently captivated her.

“Did Luna give you earplugs?” Rowen asks, sauntering towards her. Kayura brightens and meets him half-way.

“Uh, yes. Is she really bad?”

“Eh, I suppose so. When she and Ryo were dating, they were handy. Anyway…” he continues; lowering his voice as he leans against a wall at his side.

“Anyway…” she repeats.

“You know I’ve missed you.” She blushes from that statement and the low tone.

“You said that already! I miss you too, though, and I cannot wait until we have some alone time together.” Rowen leans closer.

“Same for me.”

Dais knocks him on his head, _hard_.

“Dais!” Kayura gasps.

“What the fuck, man?!” Rowen’s hand’s on the exaggeratedly large bump on his head. 

“If you think you’re rooming with her,” Dais replies, “you’re sadly mistaken.”

“What are ya, her dad?”

He, Cale and Sekhmet may as well be, having caught her and Rowen kissing passionately after their mutual confession months ago.

Kento can only stare at the scene. “Alright, so what do I have to do to _not_ room with Dais?”

Ryo shrugs. “You could room with me and Yuli. We picked the second one.” He glances over at Rowen and Dais arguing before Cye tells them to shut the hell up. “Rowen might as well room with us too since he’s helping Yuli improve his grades.”

____

Speaking of which, Yuli Yamano wastes no time undressing and putting on his yukata. 

Now sixteen and having been through most of puberty, he’s just two centimeters shorter than Kento. For years, Yuli couldn’t wait to be as tall as Rowen. Unfortunately, he inherited his mother’s short stature. His eyesight got bad, and last month he was forced to wear glasses. 

His eyesight is one reason he’s not been doing well as a first year in highschool. The other reasons are kendo and being a teenager with divorced parents. 

Yeah, he was twelve at the time…

He looks at a mirror and frowns what he sees. A teen with shaggier dark hair, wearing eyeglasses. As he blows his bangs out of his eyes, the question remains: Why does he have to look like such a _dork_?!

Rowen, disguising himself as his tutor in school, told his mother (who knows only him and Mia) that he can help Yuli. That’s the _only_ reason why she let the teen go. 

Yuli sighs. “I hate my life…” Too bad large white tigers aren’t allowed here.

____

After his decision to room with Dais and the women, Cye too puts on his yukata. Strolling around, he wipes sweat off his forehead. It’s almost 35°C, with the humidity making the air stuffier. The summer of 1995 has been brutal. It’s a good thing that most of the major areas in this inn and rooms have air conditioning. 

“We really should’ve waited until winter,” says Ryo behind him. Cye turns around and puts on a smile.

“What are you doing following me?” Ryo, who’s still in his street clothes, blinks at that.

“Following you? I’m with Mia and Suzunagi. They’re behind me.” He pauses, squinting his eyes at a man with a woman next to them, each wearing a yukata.

And the guy has blond hair. There isn’t anyone Ryo knows that has blond hair except...

“Sage?”

The guy turns around, and there he is, eyes widened. “Ryo!”

“Sage! Holy shit, it is you!” He runs over, and Cye follows.

“How have you been keeping?” The Ronin of Torrent asks. Sage smiles at him after embracing Ryo.

“Cye, hey…” Sage remembers something. He turns around and asks the woman to come over. She has dark purple hair, dark eyes, and a lovely smile.

“What is it, Sage?” She asks with a small voice.

“Guys, this is Fumi Yoshimura,” he gestures to her, “And Fumi, these are some of my friends, Ryo Sanada and Cye Mouri.”

They exchange bows before greeting each other. 

“So _this_ is the girlfriend Rowen told us about?” Cye beams. Fumi blushes and Sage rolls his eyes.

“He just had to run his mouth,” he mutters. “Hey, is he here with you guys?”

“Yep,” Ryo grins, “the whole gang's here because Kento won the lottery again. Even Dais and Kayura.”

“SAGE” They all turn around and see a very happy jumpy Suzunagi, already in her little yukata. she runs towards them, shouting, “SAAAAAGGGGEEE!!” She hasn't yet mastered the “j” or “s” sounds.

A surprised Sage catches the toddler and picks her up, smiling. “Suzunagi,” he kisses her forehead.

“I miss you!” Anyway, she clings to his neck, and Sage comes to terms with the fact that she probably won’t let go of him for awhile.

Cye and Ryo grin at the cute exchange, before they hear:

“Suzunagi! Please don’t run off like that!” Sage looks over at that familiar voice, and there’s Mia, who stops and gasps at the sight of him.

“Mommy! Sage!” 

Mia can only smile, walking towards him. “Sage, how are you?” 

“I’m great,” he replies, and after they embrace, Sage introduces the women together.


	2. Tudo Bem?

The inn has a complimentary dinner for its guests on the condition that they sit in this dining area. If they want to eat in their rooms, they’ll have to buy their own food.

Sashimi and Sukiyaki, tempura and soba noodles, tsukemono pickles, dipping sauces, yakitori. And of course, miso soup, rice and pickled seafood (and contrary to a popular belief, Cye _does_ eat seafood. As long as they’re headless).

Well, Kento, now in a yukata, brags to three thirty-something-year-old women that he can make a _kaiseki_ dinner, and they just eat that all up. Luna steps in and notices just how enraptured these women are with Kento. She rolls her eyes.

“Excuse me, ladies?” She sneaks up from behind Kento’s shoulder. And before Kento can respond, she says, “is he telling you his phony story about how he can cook a kaiseki dinner?” Kento looks at her incredulously.

“....what?!”

She leans over them and whispers, “Oh, and he’s got four children from four different girls! He’s probably affiliated with a yakuza family—”

“Whoawhoawhoa _what_?!”

Well the three women frown, turn away from him and leave. Kento slowly glares at Luna cackling.

“You little—”

“D’aww, what’s wrong?” She pokes at his cheek, “Still can’t handle rejection?” She walks off, cackling.

He’s no pretty boy, like Sage or, in Luna’s opinion, Ryo. Also, her doubts about his respect for women come up despite the fact that she’s the only woman besides a sister of his that he’s flipped the bird at.

That’s how much they dislike each other. Now, the vitriol isn’t as bad as it was back in 1989 or when Luna first moved in. Sometimes it’s ruthless teasing when he teaches her kung fu, and sometimes they’re flipping birds at each other and shouting at each other to die in a fire. Ryo always gets a kick out of it.

Well, tonight, the only reason Kento doesn’t strangle her is because Cye holds him back.

“Settle down, you,” he says, patting Kento’s shoulder, “besides, that’s what you get for mocking her about her kickboxing last Sunday.”

He walks off, and an insulted Kento calls out, “Screw you too!”

Kento does _not_ have four children from four different women. The only one of the Ronin that _may_ have a very distant family member _allegedly_ affiliated with the yakuza is Ryo, and Ryo never met him. Nor is Kento lying about the fact that he can cook a _kaiseki_ dinner. He can cook just about _anything_! His family owns a restaurant chain after all.

The heavy growl of his stomach makes Kento postpone his plans to get back at her.

Meanwhile, Sage finds himself sitting across from Vicente. He’s been looking over at Kento because otherwise, he’d just feel awkward eating with the people he’s with.

“Kento’s a real charmer these days,” he murmurs.

Mia smiles. “Well he’s been working in a host club.” Sage looks at her incredulously.

“So Sage told me you’re a professor?” Fumi asks. 

“Well, I'm an assistant professor at Sengoku university,” Mia replies, glowing with pride. She just received her Ph.D last year.

“Vicente is a pediatrician?” Sage adds, and Vicente nods.

“That’s actually how he and I met a year and a half ago.” Mia says, glancing over at Suzunagi, who’s putting food in her mouth. She still hasn’t improved in learning to use chopsticks. “Suzunagi was very ill, so I took her into the emergency room and he came.”

They bonded over the fact that they’re both _gaijin_ and how difficult it can be at times. She’s half-Japanese and half-French, and he’s half-Japanese and half-Brazilian. 

Vicente doesn’t know that she and Suzunagi live in a manor with five guys (who wear magical armor), another girl and a white tiger. She prefers it that way. Hence why she always goes to _his_ home, and not vice versa. The lie that they all live together in some school housing, that they’re close neighbors, and that visitors are rarely allowed seem to work so far.

Otherwise, it’d give Vicente the wrong idea.

Maybe Fumi doesn’t know about Sage’s role as a Ronin Warrior either.

Meanwhile, Ryo and Kento can’t help but look over at the couples.

“She seems very nice,” Kento says. Rowen’s at another table with Kayura, Dais and Yuli. He glances behind him. 

“Yeah, her father’s a dojo grandmaster and Sage assists him sometimes,” he explains, and Ryo and Luna beside him exchange looks.

“Well I’m happy for him,” Ryo murmurs before eating.

Dais looks down at this scrawny teen (who does kendo) talking to Kayura. It’s hard to believe this used to be a cheerleading little boy. And definitely not a nerd. Once Dais became familiar with the word a year ago, suddenly everyone was one.

“Hard to believe the girls at school love this four-eyed nerdy kendo champion,” he says before sipping his soup.

Yuli mutters, “At least I actually have more than one eye.”

“What was that?!”

“I said Fumi has really dark eyes.”

Kento snorts. Ryo glances at him.

“What’s so funny?”

“I think there’s some animosity between our boy and Dais.”

“I heard that, Hardrock.” Dais calls out.

And Kento calls back, “Sure you did, One-eye Freak.”

Luna, who also struggles with chopsticks, gives him a shit-eating grin. “Gee, I hope no one takes one of _your_ eyes out.”

Cye keeps Kento from insulting her.

____

It’s usually after a meal when guests do what they _really_ came here for in the first place: soaking in the hot springs. Japan’s a volcanically active country, and while that’s a bad thing for many reasons, Kento’s grandfather once said that the hot springs make up for it. 

Guests have to shower and scrub themselves off before dipping in the mineral-rich bath, which the men are doing now, sitting on their short stools.

“Um...natural gas explosions happen because, um... it contains a shitload of methane,” Yuli shuts his eyes tight, scrubbing his hair. He decides not to wear his glasses to the baths because that will only fog up his glasses. “Oh, and methane is flammable!”

“That’s right,” Rowen smiles, sitting next to him, “But why doesn’t that happen to the planet Uranus, even though it’s filled with both methane and hydrogen?” He ignores Kento’s “Uranus” comment.

“Because it’s pretty far from the sun’s heat!” Rowen blinks before shaking his head, and Yuli slowly winces at that.

“...Was I right?”

“Not even close, buddy.”

“And I just got the brakes fixed on Tamlyn,” Kento announces, excited, “and since I got some extra cash might add some new colo—”

“Whoawhoawhoa waitaminute!” Dais pauses before he asks, “why would you put brakes on a woman?!” There’s silence in the room. “I assume that’s a woman’s name.” There’s more silence in the room before Cye clears his throat.

“It’s what he names his motorcycle. After this Japanese-American actress Tamylin Tomita.” Cye glances down at Suzunagi. He’s been drying her. “Right?”

“Tamlyn Cool!” She says with a nod.

Dais shakes his head. “Well that explains why Cale names his Lady Snowblood....”

“Duh! Get with the program, Dais!” Kento then grins at Ryo, “anyway the whole thing is gonna look…” he stops. “What was that word Luna used earlier?” Ryo raises an eyebrow at him.

“... _da bomb_?”

“Da bomb! That’s right!” Kento then pauses before giving everyone a sour face. “Nevermind, your girl pissed me off earlier.”

Ryo pulls his head back. “Luna is _not_ my gi—”

“Oh, I know one... _superfly_!”

A soft sponge hits Kento in the face.

Cye stands up and smiles down at him. “You really are impossible, mate.” He dodges the sponge thrown back at him, then leans down and picks up a giggling Suzunagi. “All right, now up you go, princess!”

Ryo glances at Cye standing up and walking with Suzunagi out of the shower room. With a shrug, he resumes rinsing his hair.

“Hey,” Rowen speaks. “Where’s Sage?”

Ryo picks up a towel. “I think he’s already out there with his girlfriend.”

“Well, I like her,” Kento beams, “She’s really nice and sweet.” Rowen smiles.

“Yeah, I hope she makes Sage really happy.” Then he frowns, mumbling, “Better fuckin’ make me the best man…”

____

Mia blinks, grasping the towel wrapped over her body as she stares at a mirror. “What’s wrong with me going to the ladies’ baths?” 

“Well,” Vicente begins, “since Suzu-chan will be sleeping with us, I thought,” he wraps his arms around her from behind, “we’d make this moment our alone time.” Mia stares at their reflection as he plants soft kisses on her neck. She turns around with a smile.

“We’ll take our private bath tomorrow night,” she whispers with a peck on the lips. “I promise. Suzunagi wanted to bathe with the others, and I didn’t wanna leave Luna alone, you know?”

Vicente smiles sadly as she walks out. “Okay…”

He scratches the back of his head. Mia’s been so distant ever since dinner started. But he decides that it’s probably exhaustion from traveling up here. He sighs and sulks over to the men’s shower room. Dais is finishing up, and Vicente grins.

“Dais, is it?” He extends his hand. What a strange name. “It’s nice to meet you, _tudo bem_?”

“...what?”

Vicente swears at himself in the head. He was not supposed to be speaking random Portuguese to people here. Especially Brazilian Portuguese.

“Sorry, I meant to say...is everything okay?”

Dais shrugs. “Sure,” and he walks out, leaving a confused (and dejected) Vicente behind. 

He proceeds to wash himself before going out to the baths. There’s a huge one with a couple of families, and then he spots Cye, Rowen and that Kayura girl. Rowen spots him.

“Vicente!” He motions at Vicente to come over. “Come chat with us!”

As soon as he sees Dais with that sour face, sitting next to them, Vicente bows. “Thank you, but I already found a space!” He smiles nervously as he walks over.

He decides to sit in a corner. He glances over at Sage and Fumi talking to each other before sighing.

Among many other people in the bath are Kento and Ryo talking with Yuli holding Suzunagi. He’s still not all that familiar with any of them. It’s true that he and Rowen bonded a little after he told Rowen about bossa nova last time they met. Still, he can’t help but feel like a total outsider.

Well, he _is_ one. He got the feeling that these people have known each other for many years and are practically a family even before Mia told him they’re her neighbors. The other guys are nice to him. But as stated before, he’s still an outsider.

“Where are Mia and Luna?” Kayura asks Rowen. “I thought they wanted to bathe too.”

“Oh they’re probably at a women’s bath,” Cye answers for him, earning a confused look from her.

“But why? Also, that attendant made me wear this towel when I asked to meet with you guys.”

“Well, men and women rarely bathe together.”

Kayura blinks. “Really?! But it was commonplace in our time, right Dais?”

“Yes, when we weren’t burning villages,” he mumbles.

“You mean, when _you_ weren’t burning villages, Dais…”

“Oh, well things changed since your time,” Rowen shrugs at Kayura, “The Westerners that came to our country during the 19th century, thought what we were doing was immoral and stuff.”

“I’m not surprised,” says Dais.

“So most onsens now are separated by sex.”

“It’s not like we don’t have perverts, though,” Cye adds, after pondering whether or not to add anything. “Because we do. Also Mia, as you know, was raised in France. Luna’s American, so it’s not surprising that they would go to a women’s only bath.”

There’s an elderly couple, a family consisting of two parents, a teen boy, and two children. Another woman just came by with her toddler daughter to join her husband and an older daughter, who seems to be no older than six years old. Lastly, a grandpa and a father with his son who is Yuli’s age.

Basically, it’s a family-friendly bath, and the attendant’s there to monitor anyone even trying to stare. 

Kento swims past Sage, who taps at him. Kento blinks.

“What?” 

“Come here,” Sage leads him off to one corner, where no one can hear.

“What’s up?”

“Why are you working at a host club?” Kento blinks as Sage continues, “I thought you’d be helping out at the family restaurant chain by now.”

Kento shrugs. “Oh well you know,” and all Sage can hear after that is some mumbling. He raises an eyebrow.

“... _what_?”

“I said your girl has dark eyes!” And he swims back to his spot, leaving Sage all but bewildered. Whatever. Shouldn’t have asked.

Kento grumbles as he sits next to Vicente. Vicente gives him a concerned smile and asks, “Are you okay?” Kento glances at him, before staring at Sage and Fumi with a sigh.

“My ex,” he begins, “and I were gonna go to one of these places together. Just the two of us.”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. I actually wanted some private time with Mia, but she didn’t feel comfortable.”

“But at least you still have her.”

Before Vicente can respond, Kento climbs out of the bath, covering himself with a cloth before walking off. Vicente’s utterly confused about Kento’s sudden sour mood, but whatever.

Suzunagi rubs her eyes. “Sleepy.” Kayura rubs the child’s little hand with a gentle smile.

“I’ll go too, then,” says Vicente, to whom Suzunagi reaches out to. “Let’s see if we can get to bed before your mommy does.” She smiles at that.

“Will you tell bedtime story?”

“Of course! What story would you like?”

“Godzilla!”

Vicente can only raise an eyebrow as some of the guys burst out laughing.

Ryo whispers to Cye, “We _really_ shouldn’t have had her watch that Godzilla marathon with us.” Cye snickers.

___

After some of the group spend a couple of hours playing ping-pong and a game of Go, everyone is fast asleep.

Not Mia. All she can do is glance over at her sleeping adopted daughter, the baby a mother from a distant past entrusted her with, and her sleeping sweetheart. She doesn’t want to disturb him, feeling guilty about earlier. So, after placing a kiss on Suzunagi’s forehead, she slips on an outer robe, and walks out.

Taking the elevator to the first floor, she sees a small bar, across from the restaurant. She walks in, glancing over three other people there and a bartender. 

One of them was Sage.

Before she decides to turn back, he catches her, and the two smile awkwardly. Might as well sit with him.

They say nothing as Mia orders a drink. As soon as she receives a glass, she asks, “How’s everything?”

“Everything’s great,” he replies, staring at his glass, “Couldn’t be better.”

Both of them focus on the two other patrons, both drunk off their asses and talking nonsense.

“So, um…” After sitting there for almost a minute, Sage _finally_ comes up with a topic.

“What’s the deal with Kento working at a host club?” Mia blinks at him, and he’s quick to add, “I’ve been meaning to ask. Just curious.” She sighs and takes a sip of her drink.

“Do you remember that girl he dated?”

“Sort of, never really liked her. So I gather they broke up?”

“If Kento wants to take over the family restaurant, he’ll have to get married eventually. Well, his family already got him arranged to marry someone else.” It’s actually rare, but his parents were adamant. Mia continues, “So when Kento convinced himself that his girlfriend was _the one_ , he begged his parents to give their blessing…”

“But they refused, and Kento decided he wouldn’t take on the family restaurant at all, and they cut him off financially,” he finishes for her. In other words, Kento pulled a Duke of Windsor for his Wallis Simpson. He looks at Mia for confirmation.

“It gets worse. Now that Kento’s struggling, and you know, the job market is still pretty awful, his girlfriend didn’t like him anymore and dumped him. He and Rowen couldn’t afford their apartment anymore and that’s why they moved back to my house.” She pauses. “We urged him to contact his parents for a reconciliation…”

“But his pride’s in the way.” 

Mia nods. “He’s very ashamed of himself for the decisions he made, you know?”

“That explains why he dodged my question.” 

“And plus, he’s so in love with making music now, and he, Ryo and Luna were thinking of making a rock band.”

Sage pulls his head back. “Luna?”

She smiles. “She plays the drums. She’s actually not that bad, but they’ve made no plans yet. Well anyway,” she pauses for a drink, “he’ll have to marry whomever his parents chose if he wants to come back. I hope she’s nice and,” she circles the rim of the glass with her finger, “that she’s as sweet and kind as Fumi.”

Sage nods to that reluctantly. Fumi _is_ one of the sweetest people he’s ever met. She’s patient, humble, dependable and intelligent—Fumi is his ideal woman! It helps that she’s the only daughter of a dojo grandmaster (and a partner and friend of his grandfather) he’s assisting. So then…

“I...um…”

“The banquet,” she whispers, “I just…”

Why can’t he stop thinking about Mia? When did he stop viewing Mia as an older “sister” and started viewing her as an object of his affection and _desire_? Has he no shame? He, who hates deceit and lies, must now hide this from Fumi? From his family, who already loves her like a third daughter? He knows Mia doesn’t like secrets, either.

It’s fucking shattering him apart into shards of glass.

“I’m sorry, Mia.”

She knows it is tearing him apart, all too well...

Seeing Sage again overjoyed her. Everyone missed him. He still does his patrolling, to see if any evil rises (and it could be anywhere, not just Tokyo, he should know). 

She was heartbroken when he left the Koji manor. She was sad when Kento and Rowen left for a while, too, but it was especially hard with Sage. When she finally figured out why she felt that way, she felt even worse.

Sage, Cye, Ryo, Kento, Rowen and Yuli? They all went through so much that she’s really an older sister of them all, _and_ they’re Suzunagi’s uncles. It’d be almost incestuous to view Sage as anything more. She was certain that the feelings weren’t mutual, so she let Vicente sweep her off her feet. 

On the night of the banquet, however, a month and a half ago, the two chatted about everything throughout the night. There was a preceding lecture in Sendai about healthcare (Vicente even talked for a bit about children’s healthcare). 

Neither can tell how it happened. One minute, Sage was smiling at her about Yuli’s kendo tournaments. The next, they were making out. 

“I’m so very sorry—I don’t know why that happened,” Sage whispers, taking a sip of his drink before rubbing his temples. “I know these things just don’t happen for no reason.”

“Sage, you know exactly why it happened,” Mia looks him dead in the eye, “I know why it happened. You don’t think I cried as well?”

It’s still hard to decide what hurts more—watching Sage break down in tears after the kiss, knowing his hatred for lying and dishonoring both his family and Fumi’s? Or realizing that she just betrayed Vicente? 

God, Vicente is just wonderful, an ideal man and he’s also great with Suzunagi. Vicente is Mia’s _amor._

“I believe you,” Sage whispers. It’s not hard to imagine her sobbing alone, after having to save face for a long time.

“Vicente is everything to me.” Mia can feel the tears forming.

“I know, I’ve sensed nothing but good vibes from him, and he’s a great guy. I see he and Rowen get along great.”

And yet, here’s Sage. She met him and the others as boys (not that she was much older) and he’s grown up into such a _fine_ man. No wonder girls wanted him (to his despair). She refuses to compare herself to those stupid fangirls. They don’t know Sage like she does. 

Why is she acting like a schoolgirl?

After a long pause, he states, “Let’s just try and keep this from escalating.”

Mia nods, and the two plan something out. After another minute, Sage leaves the bar. She murmurs the plan to herself.

This is for Fumi and Vicente.

___

A loud crack of thunder wakes up Luna with a gasp.

In cold sweat and panting with a thumping heart, she looks at her surroundings. Dais and Cye are dead asleep in their futons, and Kayura stirs before falling back asleep.

It felt so real. The sharp pains from her near-fatal wound and her fall felt so real.

This isn’t the first time this or the face of Shikaisen has haunted her dreams. News bulletins of gruesome murders and of victims being raped and/or murdered have lately been awful triggers for her. Last weekend, a regular customer at the convenience store she works in at night was stabbed to death and the remains were hardly recognizable.

Luna never saw her brother and his girlfriend being brutally murdered. Yet, her mind has plagued her with the strangled screams and their near mutilated bodies.

All this happened six years ago. She’s alive. Why is she _now_ having these nightmares?

Going back to sleep might subject her to those nightmares again, so instead, she sneaks out into the balcony.

Closing her eyes as she feels the cool air caress her, she sits on one of the chairs, glancing out the window.

One thing’s for sure is that she’s not going to worry Ryo, or anyone else for that matter, about the nightmares.

“You’ve been sulking ever since the bath.” That’s Rowen’s voice next door.

“Chihiro and I were gonna get together here.” That’s Kento’s. 

“Christ, Ken.” 

Luna shouldn’t be eavesdropping on their conversation. Needing something to take her mind off the nightmares, however, she decides to do so.

Chihiro? Who the hell is Chihiro?

Oh right, she remembers now.

“You should’ve known that thinking with your dick would ruin your life.”

“I wasn’t thinking with my dick! I really fucking loved her.”

“You loved _fucking_ her, Kento.”

“Fuck you. Seriously.”

“I’m just stating the facts. No need for you to get snappy.”

“Yeah, well you’d be snappy too if you haven’t been laid in five and a half months,” Kento whispers.

“You know how long I’ve wanted to make love to Kayura?”

A chuckle. “The only thing standing in _your_ way right now is Dais.” There’s a long pause.

“To be honest, I don’t wanna rush her, anyway,” Rowen whispers, “I want her to be ready on her own, because I know that when she _is_ ready, it’ll be worth it, you know?” There’s a pause before he adds, in a more cheerful tone, “Until then, I relieve myself with my hand, and I suggest you do the same. It helps when I’m stressed out with research.”

“That stopped working for me two months ago.”

There’s an exasperated sigh. “Then go hire a damn hooker or something! I swear, thanks to her, your libido’s gotten worse than when food used to be your ‘hobby.’ ” The shōji’s opened and closed.

“Hey, I still love food!” After a pause, Kento whispers, presumably to himself, “I just really love a woman’s body right now.” It’s a couple of minutes before the shōji’s opened and closed again.

Luna, having listened to that entire conversation, sighs and lies back on the chair. 

Well, _well_. Not that it’s any of her business, but this is actually amusing.

Come to think of it, Kento’s voice, when it’s soft and low, is actually kind of sexy. It makes one wonder how he sounds while having se...

Wait.

“Oh _hell_ no!” Kento, of _all_ people?! No way in hell! The very thought makes her shudder.

It has nothing to do with looks and everything to do with the fact that they butt heads too much. So their rivalry softened over time. _Sometimes_. But for that to lead to sex?!

 _Hell_ no!

It’s another twenty minutes before she finally goes back inside, feeling chilly. She’d rather have her nightmares again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think so far.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I apologize for the weird pop cultural references. Just kidding, no I’m not. I’ll link those up later if possible.  
> 2\. Yes Luna is alive in this story because fuck canon.  
> 3\. Even thought I’m mostly going by Ronin Warriors, I’m having it take place in Shinjuku, rather than Toyama.


End file.
